Its done. Finally. No more putting it off with excuses like the flu, Lent or the 85th anniversary of the Rand McNally road atlas. Roll the drums, cue the trumpets, send in the dancers...the first training run for the 2009 Tely 10 is in the books! OK, OK. The feat is not such a deal in the big picture. It wont combat global warming, fix the economy or patch potholes. But it is a small step for Stevekind. That first run of the season has been put off for a long time since 10:02 a.m. July 27, 2008, the second I crossed the finish line in 1,769th place during the last Tely Trot. Over that period, the body has gained 10 or 15 pounds and morphed into a Barbapapa (see www.barbapapa.fr/). Clickety click, Bartlett trick! The shape and situation isnt new, sadly. Its my annual fitness routine train like crazy and watch the diet from April to race day, and then lie on the couch with my friends Alexander Keith and Big Bag of Crunchits until spring. I let everything go to pot belly. Its a cycle that sucks more than the Habs playoff effort. But, with the first run down and daily salads for lunch, hope is bounding eternal. (Springing is too nice of a word when it comes to my running.) The goal is complete this years Tely in under 90 minutes, seven or eight minutes faster than my best ever, and to keep running after race day. Ha. Har. Ha...Har. Ha...SLAP! Hmmmwhos that laughing? And slapping their knee? Oh, I see, its everyone who knows me in guffaws because theyve heard this before. Doubt if you must, but Im sticking to my goals. This is the year. Therell be regular updates on my progress, or lack thereof, here. But if you are interested in running the Tely 10, whatever you do, dont rely on this blog for advice. Join a running club, get a coach or follow the training schedule published in the paper. Because based on my history, Im the most negative role model you could have for this sport. I might run, but I cant guide.